Wood shingle panel with rear transverse metal slat

ABSTRACT

A wood shingle panel of a given length for use to cover a wall or a roof. The panel is made of a plurality of wood shingles positioned in adjacent relationship to form a row. These wood shingles are attached to a slat consisting of a metal sheet of inverted J cross-section that extends along the length of the panel at a given distance below the top edges of the wood shingles rearwardly of the same. The slat made of a metal sheet has a main wall punched in such a way as to form a plurality of spaced apart spikes which act as nails to attach the wood shingles onto the slat when the main wall of the slat is applied and pressed onto the row of wood shingles. The metal slat also has an inverted U-shaped top wall that projects externally on top of the main wall when the wood shingles are attached to it. This inverted U-shaped top wall is sized to receive and hook onto the top edges of the wood shingles of a similar wood shingle panels positioned below.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a wood shingle panel for use to cover awall or a roof, which panel comprises a plurality of wood shingles heldin parallel adjacent relationship by means of a rear transverse metalslat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is of common practice in the construction industry to use woodshingle panels comprising a plurality of wood shingles that arepositioned in adjacent relationship to form a row and are held in such aposition by means of a rear backing board or slat nailed or glued tothem. As non-restrictive examples of such wood shingle panels, referencecan be made to the following U.S. patents:

-   -   U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,209 of 1977 (SHAKERTOWN CORP.);    -   U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,107 of 1978 (SHAKERTOWN CORP.);    -   U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,309 of 1986 (FERGUSON S.); and    -   U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,639 of 1988 (FERGUSON S.).

As to the utility and advantages of such panels, reference can also bemade to the same patents.

A first problem with these existing wood shingle panels lies in thatthey make use of a backing board or slat made of wood that has to benailed or glued to the rear surfaces of the wood shingles after the samehave been positioned in a row. Such is time consuming and increases thecost of the resulting product.

Another problem with the existing wood shingle panels is that theirbacking board or slat made of wood are of rectangular cross-section andmay be used to hang one panel above another one with the backing boardor slat of the upper panel bearing out the top edges of the shingles ofthe lower panel.

However, such a “changing” is not really secure since the panels are not“hooked” to each other in such a position. Thus, the upper panel maysometimes fall down by inadvertence.

A further problem with the existing wood shingle panels is that theirbacking boards or slats made of wood may be subject to deformationespecially in the presence of humidity.

Such may then cause deformation to the whole panels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has now been discovered that the above mentioned problem ofmanufacture may easily be solved if, instead of using a backing board orslat made of wood as it has been done so far, use is made of a slat madeof metal that has, prior to being used, be punched to form a pluralityof spikes projecting outwardly on one side of the slat in such a way asto be used as “nailing means”. Thus, one has just to press the sopunched slat onto the row of wood shingles to connect them together toform the requested panel. As may be appreciated, such a pressing can beautomatized on a conveyor, whereby a substantial reduction in themanufacturing cost is achieved.

It has also been discovered that the above mentioned problem ofstability may be solved by giving an inverted U-shape to the upper edgeof the metal slat and by sizing this inverted U-shape upper portion ofthe slat is such a manner that it may receive and hook onto the topedges of the shingles of a similar panel positioned below.

It has further been discovered that the problem of deformation of thepanel in the presence of humidity may also be solved when use is made ofa backing slat that is made of metal, inasmuch as such a slat is notsubject to deformation due to humidity.

Thus, the object of the present invention essentially lies in a woodshingle panel of a given length for use to cover a wall or a roof, thispanel comprising a plurality of wood shingles positioned in adjacentrelationship to form a row that extends over the given length, the woodshingles having top edges that are in line along the given length, thewood shingles being attached to a slat that extends along the givenlength at a given distance below the top edges of the wood shinglesrearwardly of said wood shingles.

This panel is improved as compared to the existing ones in that its slatconsists of a metal sheet of inverted J cross-section. This metal sheethas a main wall punched in such a way as to form a plurality of spacedapart spikes, which spikes act as nails to attach the wood shingles ontothe slat when the main wall of said slat is applied and pressed onto therow formed by said wood shingles. The metal sheet also has an invertedU-shaped top wall that projects externally on top of the main wall whenthe wood shingles are attached to it. This inverted U-shaped top wall issized to receive and hook onto the top edges of the wood shingles of asimilar wood shingle panel positioned below.

Preferably, the top edges of the wood shingles are covered by aconnector that extends along the row over the length of the panel.

The invention and its advantages will be better understood upon readingthe following non-restrictive description of a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, made with reference to the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a roof covered by aplurality of wood shingle panels according to a preferred embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the portion of the roof covered with woodshingle panels, as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view showing how the wood shingle panels asshown in FIGS. 1 and 2, may be hooked to each other;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the wood shingle panels shown inFIG. 3, in spaced apart position relative to each other;

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the wood shingle panels shown inFIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the wood shingle panels shown inFIG. 3, after they have been hooked to each other;

FIGS. 7 a to 7 c are partial perspective views of a portion of the upperedge of a wood shingle panel according to the invention showing threedifferent types of connectors for covering the top edges of theshingles, respectively; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the metal slat used tomanufacture the wood shingle panels shown in the previous Figures, thisview showing the way this slat may be punched to form spikes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The wood shingle panel 1 according to the preferred embodiment of theinvention as shown in the accompanying drawings, is intended to be usedto cover a wall or a roof 3. This panel 1 comprises a plurality of woodshingles 5 positioned in adjacent relationship to form a row thatextends over a given length. The wood shingles 5 have top edges that arein line along the given length. The wood shingles 5 may have the samewidth or they may have different widths, as is shown in the drawings.They preferably have a tapering side shape with a thickness thatincreases from their top edges down to their bottom edges, as is alsoshown in the drawings. However, they may also have a constant thickness.Such is actually well known in the art and has not to be furtherdescribed.

Like in all the existing wood shingle panels, the wood shingles 5 of thepanel 1 according to the invention are attached to a slat 7 that extendsalong the given length of the panel at a given distance below the topedges of the wood shingles rearwardly of the same. The major differencewith the existing panels is that, instead of being made of wood, theslat 7 consists of a metal sheet of inverted J-shaped cross-sectionhaving a main wall 9 punched in such a way as to form a plurality ofspaced part spikes 11 (see, in particular, FIG. 8). The spikes 11 act asnails to attach the wood shingles 5 onto the slat when the main wall 9of this slat is applied and pressed onto the row formed by the woodshingles 5. The metal sheet of inverted J-shaped cross-section also hasan inverted U-shaped top wall 13 that projects externally on top of themain wall when the wood shingles are attached to it. This invertedU-shaped top wall 13 is sized to receive and hook onto the top edges ofthe wood shingles of a similar wood shingle panel positioned below, asis shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6.

To facilitate such a hooking, the top edges of the wood shingles 5 maybe covered by a connector 15 that extends along the row over the lengthof the panel. As shown in FIG. 7 a, the connector 15 may consist of ametal sheet of inverted U-shape, which can also be punched to formnailing spikes. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7 b, the connector 15may consist of a self-adhesive strip applied onto the top edge.

In all cases, the use of such a connector 15 is not compulsory, as isshown in FIG. 7 c. However, such a use is interesting in that it“forces” the top edges of all the wood shingles 5 to be in line and thusready to fit into the inverted U-shaped top wall 13 of the slat 7 ofanother similar panel 1 when said other panel is installed above it (seethe dotted lines in FIG. 3).

In use, the wood shingle panel 1 according to the invention can beinstalled with other similar panels onto a roof or a wall, in the verysame manner as the existing panels. In this connection, reference can bemade again to the above mentioned U.S. patents cited as relevantbackground.

However, as aforesaid, a first advantage of the panels 1 according tothe invention as compared to the existing ones, is that they are mucheasier to manufacture, thanks to their slats 7 made of metal that has,prior to being used, been punched to form a plurality of spikesprojecting outwardly on one side of the slat in such a way as to be usedas “nailing means”. Thus, one has just to press the so punched slat ontothe row of wood shingles to connect them together to form the requestedpanel. As aforesaid too, such a pressing can be automatized on aconveyor, whereby a substantial reduction in the manufacturing cost isachieved.

A second advantage of the panels 1 according to the invention is that,by giving an inverted U-shape to the upper edge of their metal slats 7and by sizing this inverted U-shaped upper portion of the slats is sucha manner that it may receive and hook onto the top edges of the shinglesof a similar panel positioned below, one may easily install one panelabove another one, with a minimum of risk that the upper panel fallsdown by inadvertence because it has been “hooked” badly to the lowerone, while the person in charge of the installation is moving,installing other panels or hooking the same to the roof or wall.

A third advantage of the panels 1 according to the invention is thattheir slats 7 made of metal are not subject to deformation in thepresence of humidity. The wood singles 5 may be subject to such adeformation, but such does not cause any problem inasmuch as they areheld onto the slats 7 by means of spikes 11 punched therein, which,contrary to conventional nails or glue, may “fold” in one direction oranother in the case of a shingle deformation.

From a practical standpoint, the wood shingle panel 1 according to theinvention can be of any length and/or height. Prototypes made by theApplicant for test purposes actually had wood shingles 5 with a heightof about 15″ and the metal sheet used as their slat was nailed at such aheight onto the rear of the row of wood shingles as to leave a height“h” about 5″ free at the bottom of a similar panel when hooked onto it(see FIG. 2).

To start the installation of the wood shingle panels 1 onto a roof orwall, use can be made of “starting” panels, as it is also the casebefore with the existing wood shingle panels.

The wood shingle panels 1′ useful to start assembly of the panels 1 inan upwardly extending direction are also shown in the drawings. Theycomprise a plurality of wood shingles 5′ positioned in adjacentrelationship to form a row that extends over a given length. The woodshingles 5′ have top edges that are in line along the given length, andthey are attached to a slat 7′ consisting of a metal sheet having aninverted L-shaped cross-section 9′ that fit onto and is attached to thetop edges of the wood shingles. The metal sheet forming the slat 7′ alsohas an upwardly projecting flat portion 13′ that is devised to fit intothe inverted U-shaped top wall(s) of the wood shingle panel(s) 1.Preferably, the main wall of the inverted L-shaped of portion 9′ ispunched to form a plurality of spikes 11′ that may be used as “nailingmeans”. Thus, the panels 1′ are as easy to manufacture as the panels 1.If desired, another punched slat 17′ may also be attached close to thebottom edges of the wood shingles 5′ for the purpose of stability.

Of course, the panels 1 and 1′ may be sold as a kit for use to cover awall or a roof.

As may be appreciated, numerous modifications could be made to the woodshingle panels 1 and 1′ disclosed hereinabove without departing from thescope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. In a wood shingle panel of a given length for use to cover a wall ora roof, said panel comprising a plurality of wood shingles positioned inadjacent relationship to form a row that extends over said given length,said wood shingles having top edges that are in line along said givenlength, said wood shingles being attached to a slat that extends alongsaid given length at a given distance below the top edges of said woodshingles rearwardly of said wood shingles, the improvement wherein: saidslat consists of a metal sheet of inverted J cross-section, said metalsheet having a main wall punched in such a way as to form a plurality ofspaced apart spikes, said spikes acting as nails to attach the woodshingles onto the slat when the main wall of said slat is applied andpressed onto the row formed by said wood shingles, said metal sheet alsohaving an inverted U-shaped top wall that projects externally on top ofthe main wall when the wood shingles are attached to it, said invertedU-shaped top wall being sized to receive and hook onto the top edges ofthe wood shingles of a similar wood shingle panel positioned below. 2.The improved wood shingle panel of claim 1, wherein the top edges of thewood shingles are covered by a connector that extends along the row overthe length of said panel.
 3. The improved wood shingle panel of claim 2,wherein the connector consists of a metal sheet of inverted U-shape. 4.The improved wood shingle panel of claim 2, wherein the connectorconsists of a self-adhesive strip.
 5. The improved wood shingle panel ofclaim 1, wherein the wood shingles are of a tapering side shape with athickness that increases from their top edges down to their bottomedges.
 6. The improved wood shingle panel of claim 2, wherein the woodshingles are of a tapering side shape with a thickness that increasesfrom their top edges down to their bottom edges.
 7. The improved woodshingle panel of claim 1, wherein the wood shingles have a height ofabout 15″ and the metal sheet acting as slat is nailed at such a heightonto the rear of the row of wood shingles as to leave a height about 5″free at the bottom of a similar panel when hooked onto it.
 8. Theimproved wood shingle panel of claim 2, wherein the wood shingles have aheight of about 15″ and the metal sheet acting as slat is nailed at sucha height onto the rear of the row of wood shingles as to leave a heightabout 5″ free at the bottom of a similar panel when hooked onto it. 9.The improved wood shingle panel of claim 6, wherein the wood shingleshave a height of about 15″ and the metal sheet acting as slat is nailedat such a height onto the rear of the row of wood shingles as to leave aheight about 5″ free at the bottom of a similar panel when hooked ontoit.
 10. A kit for use to cover a wall or a roof, said kit comprising: aplurality of wood shingle panels as claimed in claim 1; and a pluralityof other wood shingle panels useful to start assembly of said panels inan upwardly extending direction, said other wood shingle panelscomprising a plurality of wood shingles positioned in adjacentrelationship to form a row that extends over said given length, saidother wood shingles having top edges that are in line along said givenlength, said wood shingles being attached to a slat consisting of ametal sheet of “h” having an inverted L-shaped portion that fit onto andis attached to the top edges of the wood shingles, said metal sheet alsohaving an upwardly projecting flat portion that is devised to fit intothe inverted U-shaped top wall(s) of said wood shingle panel(s).
 11. Akit for use to cover a wall or a roof, said kit comprising: a pluralityof wood shingle panels as claimed in claim 2; and a plurality of otherwood shingle panels useful to start assembly of said panels in anupwardly extending direction, said other wood shingle panels comprisinga plurality of wood shingles positioned in adjacent relationship to forma row that extends over said given length, said other wood shingleshaving top edges that are in line along said given length, said woodshingles being attached to a slat consisting of a metal sheet of “h”having an inverted L-shaped portion that fit onto and is attached to thetop edges of the wood shingles, said metal sheet also having an upwardlyprojecting flat portion that is devised to fit into the invertedU-shaped top wall(s) of said wood shingle panel(s).
 12. A kit for use tocover a wall or a roof, said kit comprising: a plurality of wood shinglepanels as claimed in claim 6; and a plurality of other wood shinglepanels useful to start assembly of said panels in an upwardly extendingdirection, said other wood shingle panels comprising a plurality of woodshingles positioned in adjacent relationship to form a row that extendsover said given length, said other wood shingles having top edges thatare in line along said given length, said wood shingles being attachedto a slat consisting of a metal sheet of “h” having an inverted L-shapedportion that fit onto and is attached to the top edges of the woodshingles, said metal sheet also having an upwardly projecting flatportion that is devised to fit into the inverted U-shaped top wall(s) ofsaid wood shingle panel(s).